One thing you should know about me is that I’ve cooked through a lot of lasagna recipes over the years, particularly in the past four years. During 2020, when everyone was baking sourdough banana bread, I was deep in a rabbit hole of making the best possible lasagna for my family. I cooked simple lasagnas, classic lasagna Bolognese, white lasagna, and even lasagna with cottage cheese.

When I recently embarked on developing a more traditional lasagna, I talked with a few lasagna experts. First up was my friend Maria, who grew up just outside Venice, Italy, and has strong, prideful feelings on cooking traditional Italian food. I knew she’d have a lot to say about lasagna, including advice from her mother, who is a private chef. The most important thing Maria had to say is that “ricotta is a hard no! Lasagna must be made with bechamel sauce — and you should season it with a pinch of nutmeg.” When asked about meat sauce versus Bolognese, Maria was adamant about Bolognese. Even though it’s a lot of work, she says it makes a more flavorful lasagna. Lastly, she emphasized that a good lasagna starts with high-quality ingredients. This point sounds so simple, but having tested this recipe using a variety of brands, I whole-heartedly agree.

I also spoke with Jeanette Donnarumma (a recipe developer and culinary producer formerly of the Rachael Ray Show ), whose take on lasagna I was especially excited about. Jeanette explained that she’s an Italian American who grew up in a ricotta lasagna home, but now swears by lasagna made with a Parmesan-heavy bechamel. She went on to say that bechamel is the best option for a great lasagna because ricotta “just isn’t moist enough for a juicy lasagna and nobody likes a dry lasagna.”

This is my spin on a traditional Italian lasagna (lasagna Bolognese, if you will). It has all the components you’d expect, but I’ve taken a few liberties to minimize both prep and cook time. It’s creamy, saucy, and feels incredibly special without tasting overly rich or heavy, and it’s the farthest thing from being dry. Making lasagna is a labor of love since it takes a fair amount of time, but the good news is that nothing about this recipe is tricky or complicated, and it uses readily available, easy-to-find ingredients.

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Lasagna

Serves 8

For the Bolognese sauce:

4 ounces diced pancetta (1 cup)

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (1 1/2 cups)

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced (1/2 cup)

1 medium stalk celery, finely diced (1/3 cup)

3 cloves garlic, minced

Olive oil, as needed

1 pound lean ground beef

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

For the bechamel sauce and assembly

2 cups whole or 2% milk, at room temperature

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

15 dried lasagna noodles (not no-boil; most of a 1-pound box)

2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/3 cups freshly grated or 1 cup store-bought grated), divided

Make the Bolognese sauce:

1. Cook 4 ounces diced pancetta in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 1 finely diced medium yellow onion, 1 peeled and finely diced medium carrot, 1 finely diced medium celery stalk, and 3 minced garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. If the pan begins to dry, out add up to 1 tablespoon olive oil.

2. Add 1 pound lean ground beef, and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, breaking up the beef into smaller pieces, until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until darkened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup dry white wine and cook until almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in one (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes and one (15-ounce) can tomato sauce, and bring to a simmer.

6. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and the flavors meld, about 30 minutes. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. While the sauce is simmering, soak the lasagna noodles and make the béchamel sauce.

Soak the noodles and make the bechamel sauce:

1. Heat the oven to 350 F. Arrange 15 dried lasagna noodles in an even layer in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add enough very hot tap water to completely cover the noodles and let soak for 20 minutes, moving the noodles around occasionally and separating any stacked noodles.

2. Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the paste is bubbling and begins to dry out slightly, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in 2 cups room temperature whole milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

3. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Assemble and bake the lasagna:

1. Drain the lasagna noodles. Wipe the baking dish dry.

2. Evenly spread 1/2 cup of the Bolognese sauce in the baking dish. Arrange five of the lasagna noodles in an even layer on top of the sauce, breaking them as needed to fit (it’s OK if the noodles overlap slightly).

3. Dollop and spread about 2 1/2 cups of the Bolognese sauce over the noodles. Dollop and spread 3/4 cup of the bechamel sauce over the Bolognese (the sauces will blend together a little bit, but should still be 2 distinct layers). Evenly sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated Parmesan cheese (1/3 cup freshly grated or 1/4 cup store-bought grated).

4. Repeat layering lasagna noodles, Bolognese sauce, bechamel sauce, and Parmesan. Top with the remaining five lasagna noodles. Stir the remaining Bolognese and bechamel together, then spread evenly onto the noodles to completely cover. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan (2/3 cup freshly grated or 1/2 cup store-bought grated).

5. Bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil until the cheese is lightly browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

(Kelli Foster is a culinary producer and Christine Gallary is a senior recipe editor for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)

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